Director Ridley Scott replaced the actor with Christopher Plummer – just weeks ahead of its release date.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker admitted that the movie would likely have never been released if he had not taken steps towards removing Spacey from the finished cut.
So now that he has – is the finished movie actually worth seeing?
According to most critics, it’s a warm yes – and Plummer is, as it turns out, a marvel.
“Getty is exactly right for Plummer’s talent for subversive glittery-eyed grandfatherly mischief, cut with a dash of misanthropic malice”, wrote The Guardian.
“Plummer proves to be the best thing about All The Money In The World, grabbing the role of ‘not just the richest man in the world, but the richest man in the history of the world’ by the throat”, Empire agreed.
The BBC said: “Amazingly, there’s no sign of last-minute tinkering. Getty is a major character who is seen in numerous settings and alongside numerous other characters, but his scenes never seem rushed or compromised. On the contrary, they’re the best.”
In a review for the Express, Allan Hunter reasoned: “A polished, fast-moving thriller, All The Money In The World is a testimony to the skill and professionalism of director Ridley Scott, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down.”
The movie has not been without its critics, however.
Radio Times ranted: “Plummer proves to be far and away the best thing about a curiously detached film which, while enjoyable up to a point, is only intermittently involving and riddled with puzzling discrepancies.”
“It’s an odd film. It engages without satisfying,” Financial Times argued.
All The Money In The World is out now.